Locking device for differential gearings.



W. L. BURNAM. I

LOCKING DEVICE FOR. DIFFERENTIAL GEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1909.

964,387 Patented July 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOP [Vii/lam lme Jim-wane sywmwr A TTOHNEYS W. L. BURNAM. LOOKING DEVIcE FOR DIFFERENTIAL GEARINGS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1909. -I

' Patented July 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS WILLIAM LEE BUBNAM, on KANSAS CITY, MIssoUnI.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 10, 1909.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR DIFFERENTIAL GEARINGS.

i Patented aulyie, 1910. Serial No. 512,168.

To all whomjt may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Lnn BUR- NAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Locking Device forDifferential Gearings, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to the driving gear for the sectional axle of anautomobile or like vehicle, and its object is to provide a new andimproved locking device for difierential gearing, to neutralize thedifferential action of the gearing whenever it is desired to drive theaxle sections in unison, to prevent one axle section from spinningaround loosely, while the other meets an obstruction and retards itsturning.

For the purpose mentioned, a locking device is provided for engagementwith the difierential gearing to neutralize the differential actionofthe same and to rotate the axle sections in unison.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile provided with theimprovement; Fig. 2

is 'an enlarged sectional plan view of the improvement as applied to thedifierential gearing; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the sameon the line 33 of Fig. 2;

4: is a plan View of the same and showing hicle are provided withadjacent polygonal ends A, B, on which are secured the bevel gear WheelsC and D, in mesh with one or more inions E, journaled on a stud or studscarried'by the casing-like hub G ofa drive wheel G, preferably in theform of a bevel gear wheel, in mesh with a pinion H, secured on thedriving shaft I driven by chine.

the motor of the automobile or other ma- The extensions Gr and Gr of thehub G are journaled on the axles A and B, as plainly indicated in Fig.2, and the shaft I has one end journaled in the casing J inclosing thedifferential gearing in the usual manner.

The parts, so far described, are practically the same as found indifi'erential gearings now used, it being understood that when the shaftI is rotated, a'rotary motion is transmitted by the pinion H to thewheel G,

which by the pinions E rotates the bevel gear wheels C and D, to rotatethe axle sections A and B and consequently turn the wheels held on thesaid axle sections. Now, in case one of the wheels strikes anobstruction or is otherwise retarded from turning,-then the other wheelturns so much faster for the time being owing to the diiferentialgearing employed. Now when it is desired to neutralize the difierentialaction, use is made of a locking device which looks the wheel G to oneof the bevel gear wheels C or D, as

shown in the drawings, locking the wheel G and the bevel gear wheel Dtogether. To accomplish the result, locking pins K are provided,projecting from one end of a sleeve K, mounted to slide on the hubextension G the said locking pins extending through slots Gr formed inthe hub G, to

engage similar slots or recesses D formed in the rear face of the bevelgear wheel D. Normally, the locking pins K are in the unlocking positionshown in Fig. 2, and when itis desired to lock the bevel gear wheel Dand the wheel G together, then the sleeve K is shifted from the right tothe left, to engage the locking pins K with the slots or may be ofvarious constructions, for instance, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, thesleeve is provided with a loose shiftin collar L, provided on top withan ofi'set L having a diagonal guideway L for the block N to slide in,the said block being attachedto a shiftin rod 0, pivotally connectedwith a pedal under the control of the driver of the automobile, as willbe readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. Normally, the rod 0 isheld in a rearmost position by a spring Q, coiled on the said rod 0, andresting with one end on the casing J, the other end of the springabutting against a collar 0 secured to the rod 0. The rod 0 is mountedto slide in a suitable bearing J on the casing J, as plainly indicatedin Fig. 1.

The shifting mechanism shown in Fig. 7 consists essentially of a shiftincollar R engaged by a shifting fork S, fu crumed at S in the casing J,and havin an angular arm S connected with one en of a rod T, connectedwith the pedal P, and pressed on by a spring T, to normally hold thelocking device in inactive position. Now when the operator presses thepedal P, the sleeve K is moved from the right to the left, to move thelocking pins K in engagement with the gear wheel D, to lock the wheels Gand D together for the purpose previously mentioned. When the operatorreleases the pressure on the pedal P, the spring Q or T returns thelocking device to normal inactive position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: I

1. Driving gearing for an automobile or the like; comprising a drivenwheel having a casing like hub provided with extensions,

axle sections on which the hub extensions are journaled, bevel gearwheels secured on the axle sections within the casing like hub, anintermediate bevel pinion carried by the said hub and in mesh onopposite sides with the said bevel gear wheels, and a sleeve mounted toslide on one of the hub extensions, and having locking means forengagement with the hub of the driven wheel an one of said bevel gearwheels.

2. Driving gearing for a sectional axle of an automobile or the like,comprising a driven wheel, axle sections, bevel gear wheels secured onthe axle sections, an intermediate bevel p1I110I1 ournaled on the sa1ddriven 56 wheel and in mesh on opposite sides with the said bevel gearwheels, a sleeve mounted to slide on the hub ofthe said driven wheel andhaving locking pins engaging the said driven wheel and adapted to en ageone of the said bevel gear wheels to 100 the latter and the driven wheeltogether, and a manually-controlled shifting device for moving the saidsleeve lengthwlse on the said hub'.

. 3. The combination with the .sectional axle of an automobile or thelike, of a driven vWheel having a casin like hub provided wlthextensions journa ed on the respective axle sections, bevel gear wheelssecured on ends 0 the adjacent ends of the axle sections, an insaidpinion being in mesh on opposite sides with the said bevel gear wheels,a sleeve mounted to slide on one ofthe hub extensions, and havinglocking means for enga ement with the hub of the driven wheel an one ofthe said bevel gear wheels cand means under the control of the operatorfor shifting the said sleeve.

4,. The combination with the sectional axle of an automobile or thelike, of a driven wheel having a casing like 'hub provided withextensions journaled on the axle sections, bevel gear wheels on the axlesections within the casing like hub, an intermediate bevel pinioncarried by the said hub and in mesh with the said bevel gear wheels, thecasing like hub bein provided with slots and one of said beve gearwheels having recesses formed therein, and a sleeve mounted to slide onone of the extensions of the hub of the driven wheel and having lockingpins extending through said slots in the hub of the driven wheel andadapted to engage the recesses in the said bevel gear wheel.

-5. The combination with the sectional axle of a vehicle, and adifferential earing for'driving the axle sections, of a ocking devicehaving locking pins for engagement with members of thedifl'erentialgearing to neutralize the differential action of said gearing, ashifting rod under control of the operator, connections between the saidrod and the locking device to move the latter and the locking ins tolocking position, and a spring coi ed on the said rod and pressing onthe same to normally hold the locking device in inactive position. 6.The combination -with the sectional axle of an automobile or likevehicle, of a driven gear wheel having hub extensions journaled on therespective axle sections, a driving shaft, a pinion thereon in mesh withsaid gear wheel to drive the same, bevel ear wheels secured on theadjacent %the axle sections, intermediate bevel pinions journaled onsaid driven ear wheel, the said pinions being in mesh wit the bevel onone of the hub extensions of the driven gear wheel and having lockingmeans for engagement with the driven gear wheel and one of said bevelgear wheels.

.gear wheels, and a sleeve mounted to slide 7. The combination with the]sectional axle of an automobile or the like vehicle, and a dilferentialgearing for drivingtheaxle sections, of a sleeve mounted to slide andhaving locking means for engagement with members of the differentialgearing, and shiftin means for shifting thesaid sleeve, the sa'ishifting means comprising a pedal under the control of the operator, ashifting In testimony whereof I have signed my rod connected with thepedal, connections name to this specification in the presence of betweenthe said rod and the sleeve to move two Subscribing witnesses.

the latter to active position, and a spring WILLIAM LEE BURNAM; 5pressing on said rodand normally holding Witnesses: a

the sleeve and said locking means in inac- CHAS L. MERRY,

tive position. C. N. Srmnnrm.

